A Tale of Sheldon & Penny: Part 5: Fun with Flags
by Shipper1990
Summary: Next part of my Shenny series, sequel to "Pillow Talk". What do you do when you inherit 18,5 million dollar? Exactly, you go on a world trip with your beautiful girlfriend - eight months later. And of course Sheldon doesn't miss a chance to drop some of his knowledge about flags.
1. Departure

Just a little prolog. Being kind of a flag nerd myself at the end of every chapter I/Sheldon will give a clue to the next destination in the form of a description of the flag and/or other snippets of information about the country. 14+ chapters and big ending. What could it possibly be?

* * *

><p>Monday, July 27, 2009<p>

Sheldon unloaded his and Penny's luggage and the cab drove off. Sheldon insisted to carry the two bigger suitcases and the travel bag, leaving Penny with only the smallest suitcase. They entered terminal 4 of the Los Angeles International Airport.

"I think now is a good time to tell me what our first destination is.", Penny said.

"I'll give you a hint.", Sheldon replied. "The country's flag is red, white and blue and shows exactly fifty stars."

"Fifty ... – that's the US flag, you wisecracker."

"Correct. I couldn't get us onto the direct flight, so we have to change planes in Miami."

"You do realize that it's kind of difficult for me to make suggestions if I don't know what you have planned, right?"

"I did not consider that."

"So, where are we going? And don't say Miami."

"The country's flag is striped from left to right red, white and red. The flag is in use since 1825 and ..."

"You're torturing me on purpose, aren't you? Spit it out."

"Peru. From Miami we're flying to Lima, Peru."

"Peru.", Penny repeated, trying to remember anything about the South American country.

"And from Lima we will travel inland to ..."

"... Machu Picchu!", Penny called out loudly , earning her a few irritated looks from other travelers. "We're going to Machu Picchu?", she asked significantly quieter.

"I assume by your reaction that you ..."

"I love it. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Okay, let's get checked in, shall we?"

Sheldon nodded. "Did I mention we're flying first class?"

"Is it bad that I didn't expect anything else?", Penny asked back.

"No. Only the best is good enough for you. Barely.", Sheldon replied. "Thinking about it, maybe we should get a private jet."

"Don't overdo it, Sheldon. That would be just a huge waste of money and you know it. I'm not that spoiled. Yet."

Four hours later

"Uh, still two more hours.", Sheldon complained.

"As for my part I could stay here forever. So much better than economy class.", Penny replied and stretched her arms and legs.

"And then it's another five to six hours to Lima.", Sheldon continued.

"For a guy who promised me a months-long round-the-world trip you seem to lack patience.", Penny remarked.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin this for you."

"You know that's it's okay if you have fun too, right? This trip doesn't have to be for just me."

"I know. I'm just not too keen on flying. I prefer the train."

"Yeah, but I don't think that's an option here. Okay, let's distract you a bit. Tell me what you wanted to say earlier. About the Peruvian flag."

"I don't want to bore you."

"You don't."

"Okay. Well, as I said the flag is red, white and red, has the common proportion of two to three and was officially adopted in 1825. Flag day is June 7 commemorating the battle of Arica in 1880 where Peru fought Chile. Interestingly Peru actually lost the battle as they were clearly outnumbered."

Penny yawned demonstratively.

"Great, I am boring you."

"I'm just kidding, continue."

"Did you know that the province Cuoco, I'm sorry Cusco, where Machu Picchu is, uses a rainbow flag as their regional flag?"

"I did not."

"That's from top to bottom red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue and purple."

"I always thought that was a symbol for ... you know, gays."

"Actually the rainbow flag has a long history, dating back to Incas, but for example was also used in Germany in the sixteenth century in the great peasants' war."

"Interesting.", Penny said and leaned over to Sheldon. "I just thought of something else we can do to pass the time. Did you ever hear of the Mile High Club?"


	2. Machu Picchu

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

"I can't believe we haven't seen a single alpaca so far.", Penny whispered. "Shouldn't they be everywhere?"

Sheldon's response was interrupted as the shuttle bus drove over a segment of graveled road without slowing down, shaking everyone thoroughly and causing Sheldon's head to bump against the window.

"Are you alright?"

Sheldon nodded and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm fine."

"Cinco minutos.", the bus driver called.

"What did he say?", Penny asked.

"Five minutes."

"Nice."

Apart from Sheldon and Penny there were only two elderly couples and a family of four in the bus, all from Europe. The son and daughter, both around eight years old, kept nagging each other, driving the mother insane. Penny caught herself at thinking how glad she was that Sheldon was her only traveling companion.

Five minutes later the bus stopped. A short walk and Sheldon, Penny and the rest of the small group had reached their destination, the former Inca city Machu Picchu and – as Penny had learned – UNESCO world heritage site, which was also considered one of the seven new wonders of the world.

A tourist guide read instructions on how to behave inside the ruins in Spanish and broken English. Penny stepped impatiently from one foot to the other.

Finally Sheldon and Penny were allowed to enter. They turned around the first corner and immediately stood face to face with an alpaca.

The guide said something in Spanish, Penny looked questioning at Sheldon.

"He said you can touch it, they're not dangerous."

Penny smiled happily and started to carefully pet the alpaca. "You have to feel this, Sheldon. The fur is so soft."

"I'm fine."

"Come on.", Penny said and took Sheldon's hand, placing it on the back of the animal. The alpaca turned his head and Sheldon jerked back fearfully. Penny laughed. "Coward."

Slightly disgruntled Sheldon stepped away and took a map from his large backpack. He had already marked the way to a small hill from which they would have a fantastic view over the whole city.

30 minutes later

"The hill ... looked way ... smaller ... on ... the map."

"I told you I can carry the backpack."

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let you carry our stuff?"

"Still the best ever.", Penny answered. "But it was worth it, wasn't it?"

The view was amazing. Sheldon put down the backpack and took a deep breath of the cool air. So far he had been too focused on making this trip enjoyable for Penny to enjoy it himself. But she was right, it was so worth it.

"I was always fascinated by the Incas.", Penny said. "Mayas and Aztecs too. All these old Mesoamerican cultures actually. Too bad that's the most left of it."

Sheldon took out his tablet and started typing.

"What are you doing?", Penny asked and tried to catch a glimpse of the screen, but Sheldon turned it away.

"No peeking. I'm making arrangements for our next destination."

"Didn't you already do that back home?"

"Change of plans.", Sheldon replied.

"Why is that?"

"I didn't know you were so interested in ... – you said you were never anywhere outside the United States, right?"

"Until yesterday."

"Good."

"So ... where are we going next?"

"I'll give you a hint. The coun..."

"You're going to do this for all the trip, aren't you?"

"I intend so."

"Fine. What does the country's flag look like?"

"The colors are green, white and red and the coat of arms shows an eagle, a snake and a cactus."


	3. Mexico

Friday, July 31, 2009

"Come on, Penny, get dressed."

"I don't want to."

"But Teotihuacán is why we came to Mexico. I thought you were interested in Mesoamerican culture."

"I am. But right now I'd rather stay in bed for a bit longer."

"Are you not feeling well?"

"No, I'm feeling ... very well."

"Excellent. Okay, the bus ride will take less than an hour and ..."

"Sheldon, do you realized we hadn't had sex since ... Miami?"

"Oh, I ... – oh, you're feeling ... well. I understand."

"Good. Come back to bed, moonpie."

"Well, I guess we can go in the afternoon just as well."

Five hours later

"I'm not going up there, Sheldon.", Penny said, looking up to the pyramid of the sun.

"I've read that the view from up there is amazing. And it's only two hundred and forty-eight steps."

"Let me rephrase. We're not going up there, Sheldon. You're killing yourself."

"I'm fine."

"You're sweating like a pig and that was even before we climbed the moon pyramid."

"Actually pigs don't transpire much at all. They have only ..."

"You know what I mean. The hot weather is getting to you and as long as you insist to carry the backpack – and always bring so much stuff with you – we have to keep the physical activities to a minimum. Bedroom excluded."

"I can stay here, I don't want to slow you down."

"Oh sweetie, that's ... sweet, but also ridiculous. Without you I wouldn't even be here, I most certainly won't leave you here. And honestly, I'm not too keen on climbing this thing either."

"Did you at least enjoy the trip a little bit?", Sheldon asked.

"Of course I did. And not just a little bit. This is really cool."

"Okay. What now? Wanna go back to the hotel?"

"I'd say we look for a shady place – before you get a heatstroke – and have a nice picnic."

"Sounds good."

"And maybe we can check out the club on the other side of the street from our hotel tonight."

Sheldon nodded and extended his hand to Penny. They went to the north side of the four-stage pyramid and spread out the small blanket Sheldon had brought.

Penny took two bottles of water from Sheldon's backpack and handed one to him.

Eagerly Sheldon emptied the bottle in one go. "I'm sorry.", he said after having to burp.

Penny just smiled and patted Sheldon's hand. "Why don't you lay down for a moment, sweetie? You could use the rest."

30 minutes later

Sheldon was fast asleep, his head resting on Penny's belly. She was distractedly caressing his hair.

Penny had second thoughts about the whole idea of a long trip. It hadn't even been a week and she just couldn't shake the impression that Sheldon hated all of this. Not just the heat or the Mexican food, but being away from his familiar surroundings. She knew he was doing it for her and that he loved making her happy. And she had been so thrilled about going on a trip around the world with Sheldon that she hadn't given it much thought if he would enjoy it himself. They had already talked about it in Peru, but Penny knew he would rather bite his tongue off than to say something that would spoil the trip for her.

Maybe being only a four-hour flight away from L.A. was a good opportunity to call it all off and go back home. As much as Penny would have loved to see the world, she loved Sheldon more and nothing was worth having him suffer.

"Uh, did I fall asleep?"

"Just for a moment."

Sheldon sat up and looked around. "You haven't eaten anything."

"I'm not particularly hungry.", Penny replied. "Can I ask you something?"

"I'm not telling you where we're going next."

"No, that's not ..."

"It's an island."

"An Island?"

"Actually a group of islands. The flag of the country it belongs to is yellow, blue and red."

"Sheldon, I really ..."

"I'll give you another hint. The coat of arms ..."

"Sheldon, stop."

"Is something wrong?"

"That's what I've been wanting to ask you."

"Me? As far as I'm concerned everything is great."

Penny looked Sheldon in the eyes and tried to determine if she had been wrong or if he was lying to himself. She couldn't decide. "Okay, so what about the coat of arms?"

* * *

><p>Still trying to get into this part, writing pillow talk was much easier. Hope it will get better.<p> 


	4. Galapagos

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

"I can't get enough of these.", Penny said cheerfully as she watched a pair of blue-footed boobies hopping around on the beach and flapping their wings.

Sheldon smiled happily at her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I love you.", he whispered.

"I love you too."

A familiar snort disturbed the happy couple. A iguana had sneaked up on them and was now sitting on a rock just five feet away, staring at them.

"Is it the same again? Is he following us?", Penny asked.

"Looks like it, but I think it's a female."

"How can you tell?"

"The jowls of male iguanas are larger and they also have distinctive fat pockets on top of their heads, looks like two small horns. Of course it could also be a weaker or not so healthy specimen, it's really hard to tell."

"Well, no matter if male or female, let's move, I feel like it's undressing me with its eyes."

"We can't have that."

Sheldon and Penny continued her way along the rocky beach. It was their second day on Galapagos and the archipelago had uphold to its reputation of being a treasure chest of interesting and often unique animals, which pretty much lined up for the – due to the new regulations of the Ecuadorian government – rare visitors to see.

Blue- and red-footed bobbies, iguanas, Galapagos penguins, sea lions and of course the famous giant tortoises were only a small part of the unique faunal diversity. They had even seen a whale, a rather wet encounter for Sheldon who had underestimated the splash created by the large tail.

Penny's favorite animal – even though relatively common – was the frigatebird, a black bird with a bright red gular pouch, which could inflated to an impressive size. Sheldon had told her it was a courtship display, joking that Penny's extraordinary beauty even attracted birds.

Sheldon was happy and cheerful, having wiped away Penny's worries, in consequence making her enjoy the trip even more.

Penny turned around and saw that the iguana was actually following them. Luckily the sea lion waddling onto the beach right behind them seemed to scare him or her off a little. Which could not be said about the human intruders into this mostly untouched paradise. Penny had been again and again surprised how little most animals seem to take notice of Sheldon and herself.

"As much as I would like to stay here for longer, I'm eager to know where we're going next."

"We still have half a day."

"I know. So?"

"Two hints. The flag has six stars of different sizes and includes the flag of another country."

"Another country?", Penny repeated contemplatively.

"Yes. And the two countries are more than eight thousand miles away from each other."

"I think I got it. I'm not completely sure about the number of stars though."

"In fairness, there's a third country with a quite familiar flag, but only four stars."

"And not everyone has a photo... eidetic memory.", Penny replied. "But I will always remember the two amazing days here. And who I have to thank for it."

"You don't have to thank me. Your happiness is all the reward I need."

"You and your cheesy lines."

"You love it, admit it."

"Guilty as charged."


	5. Australia

Saturday, August 8, 2009

"This was a bad idea.", Sheldon said.

"It was your idea.", Penny replied.

"We should have come here in summer."

"It's August."

"Which is winter in the southern hemisphere. The water temperature is up to 15 degree Fahrenheit warmer in January."

"Well, that's why we have the suits."

"Still, I ..."

"We're doing this, moonpie."

"Okay, let me just check the gear one last time."

"You already did that four times, Sheldon."

"Okay. Do you remember what you're supposed to do when you see a shark?"

"I do and I also remember that it's very unlikely that will happen. Stop worrying so much and enjoy this." Penny put on the diving goggles and the scuba and extended her hand to Sheldon.

Sheldon hesitated, but eventually emulated Penny's deeds and together they jumped from the boat into the clear blue water.

Penny wasted no time and dived underwater, dragging Sheldon down with her. Just a few feet in front of them was a large reef with mostly red and yellow corals. A group of small yellow fish turned tail and fled in all directions. Penny looked over to Sheldon who didn't seem to have acclimated quite yet. Reassuringly she squeezed his hand.

Sheldon let go of Penny's hand and returned to the surface of the water.

Penny followed him and removed the scuba. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Sheldon was breathing heavily. "I'm fine. I just need a second."

"Okay."

Indeed only a moment later Sheldon seemed to have calmed down and dived down again.

The rest of the hour-long dive went smoothly. Everything anyone had ever said about how majestic the Great Barrier Reef was, proved to be true. Penny caught herself thinking it couldn't get any more beautiful than this. Although she had said the same on Galapagos as well.

After returning to the boat Sheldon had rented just for them, Penny pulled Sheldon into a fierce kiss, earning amused looks from the crew.

"Shall we return to land, Mister Cooper?"

"Doctor Cooper.", Penny corrected.

"Penny?", Sheldon asked.

"Yeah, let's go back."

Sunday, August 9, 2009

"Finally.", Penny said. "Four days in Australia and we haven't seen a single kangaroo or koala."

"Actually we saw ..."

"Wallabies don't count. I want to see the big, red ones."

"Well, we will see plenty of different kinds of kangaroos today. Including the big, red ones."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"I wouldn't dare.", Sheldon answered seriously. "And tomorrow on kangaroo island we will get to see koalas as well as duckbills and cockatoos."

"And on Tuesday?"

"Well, unless you have some more activities in mind, I booked us a flight from Adelaide to ... a different continent."

"Okay, fine, let's hear it."

"The flag is mainly red with five stars, one of which is significantly bigger than the other four."

"Okay. Red, five stars ... – I have no idea. But speaking of more activities, what about the Sydney opera?"

"We have already seen the opera house, remember? On Friday."

"Yeah, but we weren't inside. And there's a premiere on Tuesday."

"Oh. You want to ... – I'm sure it's nearly impossible to get tickets now, I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. I can see it on your face. It's as if I suggested to take a bath in a pool full of fire ants."

"I'm ..."

"It's okay, I wasn't really serious anyway."

"No, if you want to go, we will go."

"I don't. But it's always nice to see what you're willing to suffer through for me."

Sheldon looked grumpily. "Not funny."

"Oh, come here. I will make it up to you."

"What do you have in mind?"

"You know exactly what I have in mind."


	6. China

Friday, August 14, 2009

"Okay, I'm just gonna say it. Not nearly as impressive as I imagined it."

"Yeah.", Sheldon agreed.

"I mean, it's a wall and I know it's super long and super old, but standing on it, that's not really ... impressive. Looks better on the postcards."

"The fog isn't helping either. Well, at least we can say we were on the great wall of China."

"What's next? I assume pandas and the wall aren't the only things worth seeing in China."

"Not at all. Our next stop is Xi'an, home of the famous terracotta army. Then Shanghai and Hong Kong."

"And tonight we're eating at the restaurant the concierge recommended us."

"Exactly."

"What did he say was the specialty?", Penny asked.

"I don't think you want to know."

"Why? Is it something gross?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"What do you think of snakes?"

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Sheldon stepped out on the hotel hallway and took a deep breath. The last three and a half days had been no doubt the worst of the three-week trip so far. Penny was sick, food poisoning.

Even Sheldon couldn't – or rather didn't want to – count anymore how often he had kneeled next to Penny in front of the toilet holding her hair while she vomited.

Not that he minded to take care of Penny, he was glad that he could be there for her and that she was accepting his help, but it wasn't easy either. Especially in unfamiliar environment, six thousand miles away from home.

Sheldon had offered to break up the trip and continue at a later point in time, but as miserable Penny was, she was also determined to continue.

In case Penny was down for a few more days Sheldon had postponed their whole traveling schedule by one week, which had lead to an awkward situation with the hotel's assistant manager whose grandmother Sheldon accidently insulted when trying to prolong their stay at the hotel in Mandarin.

Sheldon returned to the room where Penny was still asleep. Her face was pale, but it had been worse. Sheldon sat down on a chair next to the bed and watched over his girlfriend. In addition to the obvious worries he felt also guilty for what had happened. If he hadn't invited Penny on a world tour, she wouldn't have gotten food poisoning from some cheap Beijing snack bar and she wouldn't be sick right now.

Sheldon also knew that if he told Penny that, she would say it's nonsense. Her way to look at him and his actions was always much more favorable than his own assessment.

Thinking about it, it was exactly the same the other way around. Sheldon smiled. Maybe that was how it's supposed to be in a loving relationship.

After half an hour Penny woke up slowly. "Hey."

"Hey. How do you feel?"

"Better."

"Good."

"Maybe we can continue our trip tomorrow."

"Only if you're back at a hundred percent."

"I'm going to be fine, Sheldon."

"I know."

"Then stop looking so worried. You making me feel like I'm on my deathbed."

"Don't even say that."

"Join me?", Penny asked.

Sheldon nodded and climbed into bed with Penny, hugging her tightly. "I can't help it.", he whispered. "I will always be worried about you."

"I love you, sweetie."

"I love you too, Penny."

"So, does the plan still stand? Xi'an, Shanghai and Hong Kong?"

"Yep."

"And afterwards? I think I'm ready for the next flag riddle."

"Okay, really simple one. Three strips, von top to bottom orange, white and green. At the center is a blue twenty-four-spoke wheel."

"Twenty-four, huh?"

"I've counted.", Sheldon replied.

"I have to say, I'm beginning to enjoy this. And you're right, that's an easy one."


	7. India

Monday, August 24, 2009

"I have to admit, I'm a little scared.", Penny said.

"There is absolutely no reason to be scared, Penny.", Sheldon replied. "The fence is high and stable enough to hold off any tiger. And it's not even a particularly large specimen."

"Looks large to me. And his eyes, that's some mean killer eyes."

"There is no such thing as killer eyes, Penny. But tigers are predators."

"And then he's doing this thing with his tongue all the time, it's as if we're making his mouth water."

"They're getting fed, you know? I don't think he's particularly hungry."

"Very comforting. So he's just gonna kill me, but not eat me?"

"He's not going to ... – Penny, do you want to go back to the baby tigers?"

Penny beamed at Sheldon. "Yes, please. They are so cute. Why are baby animals so irresistible?"

"Well, studies suggest that ...", Sheldon started to explain.

"Don't ruin baby animals for me, Sheldon.", Penny warned him.

"Sorry. I agree, they are cute."

Penny linked arms with Sheldon and they headed back to the separate area of the wildlife park where the younger tigers were kept. "Maybe we should get one."

"A tiger?"

"A kitten. You like cats, right?"

"Indeed. They're smart, cuddly, playful and they fend off birds."

"When we're back home, we really need to work on your bird phobia."

"It's called ornithophobia and I don't have it."

Penny shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, whatever. So what about the kitten?"

"We don't have to decide right now. Getting a pet should be a well thought through decision."

"Yeah, of course."

"Okay, something else. Do you think kitten could be my pet name for you?"

"I do not."

"And baby?"

"Most certainly not."

"This is really frustrating. It can't be so hard to find a pet name."

"I think we've been doing quite well without it, haven't we?"

"Yes, of course. I know it's silly."

"No, it's ... cute."

"You enjoy seeing me struggle with this, don't you?"

"I do. I know it's mean, but ... you know so much and you learn so quick, languages for example, it's nice to see that there's something even the might Sheldon Cooper can't do easily."

"What about blossom?"

Thursday, August 27, 2009

"Beautiful, isn't it?", Penny asked.

"Not as beautiful as you."

"Sheldon, be serious."

"I am. And may I remind you that the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum?"

"A very nice mausoleum.", Penny replied. "And I think it's romantic that the sheikh had it built for his wife."

Sheldon swallowed hard. "And do you also know when it was built?", he asked.

"1631 to around 1650. The exact year when it was completed is disputed. I can read tourist guides too, you know?"

"I wasn't implying that you couldn't."

"And I also know that more than two million people visit the Taj Mahal every year. Which isn't actually that much for a country of over a billion people if you ask me. And I know that it is – alongside Machu Picchu and the great wall of China – one of the new seven world wonders. Speaking of it, are you planning to take me to the other four as well?"

"I'm afraid I was not. But if you want to ... – we've already been in Mexico and South America, so ..."

"It's okay, sweetie. All the destinations you have picked so far have been great, I entrust the planning completely to you."

"Good. I think you will especially like the next country."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"It's the second smallest country we will visit, both in size and population. The flag has four strips in contrast to the very common three."

"You will have to give me more than that. Not even you could know with these hints. What are the colors?"

"Red, blue, yellow and green."

"Okay, I still have no idea. But I do know that there is no way you will be allowed to go inside Taj Mahal with your backpack."


	8. Mauritius

Merry Christmas (it's 1:00 am on the 24th here in Germany)

* * *

><p>Wednesday, September 16, 2009<p>

Sheldon and Penny were lying on a hammock, cuddled together and dozing. Sheldon was wearing knee-long bathing shorts and a white t-shirt, Penny a blue bikini.

Sheldon had been right, Penny did especially like this location. And so did he. The weather and the water temperature were perfect, the beach was beautiful and the small vacation home they had rented was secluded, but not too far away from the next village. It was actually the only village on the small island, but it had everything they needed.

They spent their days swimming, snorkeling, hanging out on the beach and lots of lovemaking. Sheldon had already extended the stay twice and he was currently seriously considering to push back the rest of the trip further. Maybe for a month. Or a year.

It was a joyful and carefree time. No phone, no mobile network, no TV, no internet. And it was a completely new quality of quiet. No cars, no other people, just the splashing of the waves and occasionally the croaking of a bird.

As amazing as the days were, Penny loved the nights even more. The air was cooler but anything from cold and the stars were so beautiful without any light pollution. Or clouds for that matter. Some nights Sheldon and Penny spent hours just gazing at the sky and holding hands.

"Sheldon? Wanna go for a swim?", Penny asked.

"Sure.", Sheldon answered and pulled of his shirt.

He actually had become quite tanned by now and Penny loved it. Overall she couldn't help but think he was getting more handsome. Nothing was left of the praying mantis she saw in him when they first met – a thought she was deeply ashamed for. The beautiful blue eyes, slightly longer hair – he hadn't been at a haircutter since their departure – and the stubbly beard, Penny was falling in love with Sheldon over and over again.

Especially because he didn't make a fuss about it. Not once he had complained about his hair and on most days the morning shave was replaced by more lovemaking. He did insist on putting sun-blocker on all of Penny's body every day though. Not that she would have minded.

Penny walked out into the Indian ocean until she was hip-deep in the water and then dived into it. Sheldon was right by her side. They were both excellent swimmers – according to Sheldon he was physically favored due to his long arms and slim body – and it had become a loving rivalry who could beat the other to a really tiny island with a single palm a few hundred feet from the beach.

Penny won most of the time, but today Sheldon got the better of her. In a last-ditch attempt she grabbed his leg. They struggled playfully and Penny managed to push Sheldon underwater.

"Not cool.", he said. "I would have won."

"Oh, were we having a race?", Penny asked, faking innocence. "You didn't say anything."

"You're lucky I love you so much."

"That's true."

"Race back?"

"Oh sweetie, you won't stand a chance."

"We will see about that. Okay, three, two ... – hey!"

Thanks to her jump start Penny beat Sheldon back to the beach. "I win, I win!"

"Unfair.", Sheldon protested.

Penny flung her arms around Sheldon's neck. "Oh, you know what they said, all is fair in love and war.", she said, grinning brightly.

Sheldon kissed her. "Well, in that case ..."

"No. Don't even think about it. How about you tell me about our next destination instead?"

"Do you want to leave? I was thinking maybe we could stay for a bit longer."

"I would love too, but I'm also curious."

"Okay. About our next destination ..."

"What about it?"

"The order of locations I planned for our trip might not have been ideal."

"How so?"

"Climate-wise."

"You're talking in riddles, Sheldon. And not the funny ones about flags."

"Okay, flags. The flag of the next country we're going to is green, red, blue, yellow, black and white. But we won't stay there for long. Our real destination isn't an actual country and therefore also has no official flag."

"No flag?"

"Well, it has a flag, it's light blue and white and shows the form of the ... not-country."


	9. Antarctica

Monday, October 5, 2009

After ten more days on Mauritius, two nights in South Africa and five days on a luxury cruise ship Sheldon and Penny had almost reached their next destination, the not-country with no official flag, the – depending on how you count it – fifth, sixth or seventh continent, Antarctica.

Sheldon and Penny were standing on the top deck with most of the other passengers, wearing thick winter jackets. They wanted as the ship slowly covered the last miles towards the icy landmass.

"You were so right.", Penny said, shivering from the cold. "This order ... is less than ... ideal. One week ago ... we were ... sunbathing ... on the beach ... and now ... this."

"Come on, it's not that bad.", Sheldon replied, who could handle the cold significantly better than Penny.

"Not that bad? It's twenty degree Fahrenheit below zero!", Penny uttered.

"Sixteen.", Sheldon corrected her calmly.

"Oh great, I'm feeling much warmer already."

"Your mood seems to lower along with the temperature. I wonder if there is a scientific explanation for this."

"Sheldon, I'm warning you."

"It could be that ...", Sheldon continued, ignoring Penny's warning.

"I don't like the cold! That's your big scientific explanation!"

"Not exactly what I would call a milestone discovery."

"Sheldon, I'm warning you.", Penny repeated.

"Sorry, I was just trying to lighten your mood. But in fairness, I offered you skip Antarctica and stay in Africa."

"I remember. And I'm sorry. I know I haven't been the best possible travel companion over the last couple of days."

"You're wrong. There is no one on earth I would rather be with – here and everywhere."

"What about Stephen Hawking?"

"Not even close."

"Batman?"

"Batman isn't real, Penny. And no."

"What about ..."

"No one, Penny. You really should know that by now."

"I do. I love you."

"I love you too."

"But if I freeze to death, I'm going to haunt you as a ghost."

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

"I will never get bored of this. Too bad we're leaving tomorrow."

"Look at you, two days ago you were all ... moody and now you don't want to leave anymore."

"I still hate the cold, but the penguins are just too awesome.", Penny replied and imitated the waddling of her new favorite animals.

Sheldon smiled at her. He would never admit it out loud, but he was actually glad they would be back in warmer climes soon. The time on Mauritius had spoiled him in terms of sunshine and warmth. And being stuck in the – even though by no means small – cabin for most of day didn't fit his idea of a enjoyable vacation either. "Penny?"

"Yes?"

"Let's not get to far away from the group, okay?"

Penny looked around and spotted the excursion squad about two hundred feet away. She hadn't noticed they went so far. "Okay.", she said, waving at the group of juvenile emperor penguins one last time.

"You happy?", Sheldon asked as they walked back towards the other tourists and crew members.

"Absolutely. You take me to the most beautiful places."

"Only the best for you."

"I think I already got the best."

"I don't understand."

"You, sweetie, I'm talking about you."

"Oh."

"So, since we're leaving tomorrow, what flag is next?"

"A very nice one in my opinion. It has five stripes, two of which are small white ones. The main colors – from top – are black, red and green. It originated in 1963 and shows an oval shield and two spears."


	10. Safari

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

"I'm not doing this again. Ever.", Penny said to Sheldon after closing the door of their hotel room in Tsavo, Kenya.

"You do realize that we never were in any real danger, right?", Sheldon asked, wrapping his arms around Penny from behind.

"He was like ... two feet away from us.", Penny argued, referring to the incident with a cheetah earlier today.

"First of all, it was a female. And secondly, a solid metal grid was between us and her. As I said, no real danger."

"It was still very frightening.", Penny replied, turning around to face Sheldon. "I don't understand how you can be so cool about it."

"Maybe it's because I was aware that something like that can happen. I should have given you a heads-up."

"Why didn't you?"

Sheldon didn't answer. "Penny, you do know that I would never purposely put you in danger, don't you?"

Penny nodded. "I know."

"And in case you are in danger, I would do anything in my power to protect you."

"I know. And no offense, but I don't think you can do a lot against a full-grown cheetah."

"Yeah."

"Still very sweet of you.", Penny said and kissed Sheldon on the lips. "I guess big cats and me will never become the best of friends."

"But you still want to get that kitten?"

"Absolutely."

"I see.", Sheldon replied. "But back to the slightly bigger animals. Were you serious about not going back on safari? Because I still got rhinos, lions and leopards on my list." He took a piece of paper from his pants pocket. Buffalo, elephant, hippo, crocodile, antelope, zebra, giraffe and cheetah were already checked off.

"No, I was just ... – of course we go back out. It's an adventure, the animals are amazing and the nature is beautiful. Definitely one of my fav... – no, forget it."

"What?"

"I wanted to say it's one of my favorite locations, but that would be unfair. All countries we visited have been great."

"And Antarctica?"

"Fine, all places have been great – better?"

"If you had to choose ..."

"I don't have to and I won't."

"It's Mauritius, isn't it?"

"Sheldon, I won't tell you."

"Ha! If you don't want to tell you, that means you do have a favorite."

"I'm going to take a shower. Join me?"

"You're trying to deflect, but it's not working."

"Oh, really?" Penny took off her shirt and dropped the bra. "Are you sure it's not working?"

"You're ... evil.", Sheldon groaned.

"I think the word you're looking for is hot. And in about two minutes I will also be stark-naked, wet and soaped."

"We can talk about it later.", Sheldon replied, hastily took off his shirt as well and followed Penny in the small bathroom.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

"Well, that's it.", Sheldon said and checked off the last animal on his list. Despite their size, the rhinos had been hard to find. "Antelope, buffalo, cheetah, crocodile, elephant, giraffe, hippo, leopard, lion, rhino and zebra – we've seen it all."

"Satisfied?", Penny asked.

"Yes. So what was ..." The jeep rumbled over a small rock, interrupting Sheldon. "What was your favorite ..."

"Not this again, Sheldon. You won't get me to choose a favorite country."

"I wanted to ask what you favorite animal here in Kenya was."

"Oh. Okay, I'd say ... hippo. You?"

"Same.", Sheldon answered.

"Lame.", Penny mocked him. "Okay, what's next?"

"Red, white, black and a golden eagle."


	11. Egypt

Sunday, October 18, 2009

"Sheldon, do you remember when I told you that I hated the cold?", Penny asked.

"Of course I remember, you know I remember everything.", Sheldon replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Well, I hate the heat more."

"You shouldn't stand in the bright sun all day.", Sheldon said and dragged Penny into the shadow of a stall selling clothes and decorative jewelry. "Better?"

"Slightly. I can't imagine how hot it has to be here in summer."

"The average temperature in June and July is ..."

"Let's just say it has to be excruciating, okay?"

"Not very scientific, but certainly true."

"How are you doing by the way? I remember in Mexico you suffered quite yourself."

"I'm fine."

"No, seriously. You're not gonna collapse on me, are you?"

"I think I'll manage it. We're almost there anyway."

Cairo and especially the grand bazaar – or Khan Al-Khalili – was the third stop in Egypt after Abu Simbel and Edfu, two cities in the south of the country, both best known for its ancient temples. A trip to Giza for its pyramids and the Sphinx was also scheduled.

"Found something you like?", Sheldon asked Penny, who was browsing through a selection of necklaces.

Penny turned around and presented a necklace made of multicolored ambers, giving Sheldon a pleading look.

"Why are we always playing this ridiculous game? If you want it, buy it." Sheldon gave Penny some Egyptian pound and she bought the necklace.

The vendor said a couple of words, but neither Penny nor Sheldon understood him. They smiled politely and continued on their way. Suddenly Penny stopped. "You do like it, don't you? I should have asked first."

"I'm sure you look beautiful with it.", Sheldon answered.

"Thank you. Hey, wait. That's not really an answer to my question."

Sheldon smiled apologetically. "I hope you wouldn't notice."

"So you don't think it's a nice necklace?"

"I didn't say that."

"If you don't like it, I don't want it."

"That's very childish, Penny."

"It is not."

"Penny, I don't have particularly like every single piece of your accessories or wardrobe."

"I didn't say anything about clothes. What exactly don't you like in my wardrobe?"

"Penny, I ... – I didn't mean to suggest that ..."

"I know exactly what you meant to suggest, Sheldon. Now stand by it and answer my question."

"Maybe the streets of Cairo aren't the perfect place for a private conversation, Penny."

"Fine. But don't think for one second that you're off the hook."

"Understood. But now let's have a nice day, okay?"

Monday, October 19, 2009

"What do you think happened to the nose?"

"Obelix climbed on it and his weight broke it off.", Sheldon joked.

"Very funny, but seriously."

"It is generally assumed that Muhammad Sa'im al-Dahar, a deeply religious Muslim who lived in what we would call a monastery, destroyed the nose in 1378 because some people worshiped the Sphinx like a good, which was offensive to him.

"Incredible what kind of things you know. I wonder if he went to jail for vandalism or something like that."

"Actually he was ... hanged."

"Oh. That's harsh."

"Yeah.", Sheldon replied. "Uh, did you know that the Sphinx also had a beard at some point?"

"I did not."

"It is exhibited in the British museum in London."

"Interesting."

"You don't think it's interesting, do you?"

"Not really, sorry. But what I would be interesting in is our next destination."

"Okay. A new continent and ..."

"Europe.", Penny stated.

"I didn't say that."

"It's the only continent we haven't been."

"Okay, Europe. The flag is from left to right green, white and red."


	12. Italy

Saturday, October 24, 2009

"Seems very impractical to me.", Penny said.

"What do you mean?"

Penny pointed upwards to the Pantheon's oculus. "The hole in the dome. It must rain straight in here."

"Indeed. To gather the rainwater the floor is slightly lowered towards the middle and there are multiple small drainages."

"Okay, but still, seems like a stupid thing to build. Or not build in this case."

"Well, for starters it's – beside the entry portal – the only natural source of light for the interior. And as you know the Pantheon used to be a temple for the Roman gods and the oculus was supposed to be a connection to them. It might also had static reasons as the dome is obviously extremely heavy and put a lot of pressure on the walls. Without the use of specific materials and the oculus the Pantheon would have never survived more than one thousand and eight hundred years."

"I see."

"It's actually a really impressive architecture."

"Yeah."

"Considering the very limited possibilities the Romans had."

"Of course.", Penny replied. "So, early dinner? I wanna come back here at sundown. It's said to be a must-see."

"Okay.", Sheldon said. They had done the same with the Colosseum – another very impressive antique building in Rome – the day before.

"Pizza?"

"You know, just because we're in Italy we don't have to have pizza every day."

"We don't have to, but it would be kind of a waste, don't you think?"

"If you say so. But I'll have some pasta today instead – if you don't mind."

"No, of course not. Maybe I'll have pasta too. Uh, we could share a plate of spaghetti and then do this thing where we eat the same noodle and kiss each other."

"You're the only person in the world I could consider doing that with."

"I sure hope so. I know we're in Italy, but if you start kissing other women, we two will have a big problem with each other."

"No, I meant sharing food. And the kissing part of course too."

"I love you, Sheldon."

"I love you, Penny."

"You know, I actually prefer American style pizza anyway."

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

It was a cliché, but Penny didn't care. She couldn't help it, a gondola ride on the canals of Venice was just extremely romantic.

Penny held Sheldon's hand, who was less than comfortable in the slender boat. He tried his best to keep up a brave face, but knowing what he knew about how easily a gondola could tip over, it was difficult to concentrate on the experience or the surroundings.

"Sweetie, just look at me.", Penny said.

Sheldon turned his head and smiled at Penny.

"You need to relax, what's the worst thing that could happen?"

"Well, theoretically ..."

"Rhetorical question, Sheldon."

"Okay."

"Venice is a beautiful city, isn't it?"

"Very ... unique."

"I know that's Sheldon Cooper code for no, sweetie."

"No, really, it has its charm."

Ten minutes later the ride and Sheldon and Penny could respectively had to leave the boat. Sheldon tipped the gondolier and took a deep breath as he finally stepped on solid ground.

Penny, who seemed to have a knack for the Italian language, exchanged a couple of sentences with the mid-thirty man and followed Sheldon.

"So ... – I guess that wasn't your favorite part of Italy?", she asked.

"As long as you liked it, I'm happy."

"I loved it. I'm sorry you can't see the romance in this."

"I'm sorry too." Sheldon's phone beeped. He took it out of his pocket and looked at it. "We might have to skip or postpone Milan."

"Why is that?"

"It's a surprise. But I can tell you that it's something we can do only on very few days a year. And it looks like the day after tomorrow might be one of these days."

"Will you at least tell me where we're going?"

"Okay, yeah. The country's flag is red with a blue and white cross."


	13. Norway

Monday, October 26, 2009

"Put this on.", Sheldon said and extended a blindfold to Penny.

"What? No."

"Please."

"Sheldon, what is this all about? We suddenly fly to Norway, drive out her to the middle of nowhere for two hours and now a blindfold – you're acting really strange."

"I just want it to be perfect for you. But if you don't want, never mind."

"Okay, fine. Give me the damn blindfold."

Sheldon smiled happily. "Great." He got out of the car, walked around it and helped Penny get out as well. The snow blanket was ankle-deep, so now real issue. "Wait a second."

Penny heard Sheldon get his backpack from the trunk, then the SUV drove off. "How are we going to get back to the hotel?"

"We won't. At least not today.", Sheldon replied and took Penny's hand.

After five minutes of getting silently led through the snow Penny was starting to get really annoyed. "When will we finally get there? Wherever we're going."

"Just a couple more minutes."

Penny groaned in annoyance. "This better be worth it, Sheldon."

"It is, trust me.", he ensured her. "I hope."

Beside annoyed and a little tired Penny was also very curious about what Sheldon had in store for her here in northern Norway. He had never made such a fuss about any other location or activity, so it had to be something big and special. Penny had no idea what it could be, but thinking about it she became really excited.

Ten minutes later Sheldon stopped. "Stay here."

Penny could hear Sheldon walk over wood and put down his backpack. He returned and took her hand again. "Can I finally take the blindfold off?", she asked.

"Not quite yet.", Sheldon answered. "This way, my lady."

"Uh, quite the gentleman, aren't we?"

Sheldon sat Penny down on what felt like a wooden bench. "Close your eyes."

"I'm blindfolded, Sheldon. Closing my eyes would be like shooting a dead man."

"Please?"

Despite not actually being able to see him, Penny could feel Sheldon's loving look on her. "Okay, eyes are closed."

Sheldon took the blindfold off and stroked Penny's hair. "Okay, now open your eyes."

When she did, it took Penny two minutes to say something. In front of her was picturesque lake, snow-clad hills on both sides. But the highlight was the sky, lighted by colorful polar lights. "Wow. I ... – wow."

"Worth it?"

Penny was still completely mesmerized by the sight presented to her. "Yeah, absolutely."

For several minutes Sheldon and Penny stared at the sky, taking in the natural beauty of the green and purple light phenomenon.

After a while Penny started to feel cold. For the first time she looked at her immediate surroundings. They were sitting in front of a small wooden cabin, no other building was to be seen anywhere nearby. "Sheldon, are we staying here tonight?"

Sheldon nodded. "Yes."

"Let's go inside, it's getting chilling out here."

Sheldon fetched a key from his backpack and unlocked the door. The cabin consisted of a main room and a small bathroom with toilet, sink, shower and barely any space between. "I know it's not much, but ..."

Penny smiled at him. "It's nice, has a lot of charm. And seriously, the ... – what is it called? Polar lights?"

"Yes."

"Just amazing. I'm really glad you brought me out here for it."

"In this intensity it's a pretty rare spectacle. I hope you're not too disappointed I had to cut short Italy."

"No, I understand. And we can go back, right? Milan?"

"If you want. Do you want to go back?"

"Depends. Where are we going next otherwise?"

"Still Europe. Flag is blue, white and red."

"This time I'm prepared. I studied all European flags on the flight. Blue, white and red. Okay, that's either Croatia or Iceland or Luxembourg or the Netherlands or ... Norway – no, not Norway obviously. Croatia or Iceland or Luxembourg or Netherlands or Russia if you count it as Europe."

"I do not."

"Or Serbia or Slovenia or Slovakia or the Czech republic or the UK – I really need more hints, Sheldon."

"Actually you need just one. It's the only European country with a blue, white and red flag you haven't mentioned."


	14. Paris

Happy new year (6 hours till 2015 here in Germany). Last chapter, cut the part a bit short because a) I felt like I was getting really repetitive, b) the flag thing was a stupid idea to begin with and c) I wanted to finish it in 2014. But obviously not before Paris. Sorry if I left out your request or misrepresented your country. I've never been anywhere outside Europe, so for the most part I don't have a fucking clue what I'm writing about.

* * *

><p>Tuesday, November 3, 2009<p>

After two nights at the cabin in Norway, two days in Milan and a brief stop at Sheldon's old university in Lyon Sheldon and Penny had traveled to Paris, the – alleged – city of love.

On the first two days they had spent visiting the city's various sights, including Notre Dame de Paris, the Louvre and of course the Eiffel tower. A tour through the famous catacombs had been cancelled though – too creepy for Penny's liking.

Right now Sheldon and Penny were sitting at a small table in a café so stereotypically French it was almost racist. It was right around the corner from their hotel and ideal for a second breakfast – a concept rejected by Sheldon. Theoretically.

Penny was having her third croissant of the day, coffee with whipped cream and orange juice. Sheldon was having crêpe with powdered sugar and a glass of water.

Unlike the previous days the weather was grey and rainy. Penny watched the passersby, some with, some without umbrella. Sheldon watched Penny, he was worried about her. After Norway she seemed less and less enthusiastic every day. Paris should be a highlight for any couple – or so he had been led to believe – but it clearly didn't spark anything inside Penny.

Sure, she put on a happy face and made appreciating comments about art and architecture, but Sheldon knew her way too well to miss that something was off. "Penny?", he asked.

"Sheldon, look.", Penny said at almost the same time and pointed at a small white cat walking by on the window sill. She gave Sheldon her puppy dog look.

"Penny, please don't pressure me."

"No, I'm not ... – I wasn't ... – sorry, I didn't mean to pressure you or anything. It's just that every time I see a cat now I feel like I just have to have a cute little kitten."

"I haven't forgotten.", Sheldon said.

"Of course."

"Can we agree that it doesn't make sense to get a pet before we're back in the States?"

"Sure. I don't think you can fly with a cat. Not even first class."

"Okay, then let's also agree that we don't have to make a decision right now."

"Yeah."

"Good. According to my revised schedule we're back home about five weeks."

"Yeah, about that ..."

"Something has been on your mind for a couple of days now, hasn't it? What is it?"

"First I want to say how much I enjoyed ... – enjoy this trip and that I'm really grateful that you invited me on it and picked all these amazing places."

"You're welcome."

"But ... I think ... I'm starting to feel ... homesick."

"Oh." The possibility hadn't even crossed Sheldon's mind. As he had acclimated pretty well to living in hotels and constantly changing surroundings of the course of the trip, he couldn't have imagined that Penny was homesick.

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No, no, why would I? I'm just surprised. Well, if you want to go home, I should be able to get a flight for tomorrow. Maybe not directly to L.A. though."

"That's fine."

"Originally I had planned to ..."

"You can really tell me now, Sheldon. What other countries did you schedule?"

"Okay, next we would have gone to Ireland, then Iceland, London, Germany, Switzerland, Prague, Turkey – yes, that's a country as well – and Japan. No, Russia first, then Japan. And Canada."

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Sheldon and Penny had gathered both their luggage, which – especially Penny's – had become more and more over the course of the world tour, on the sidewalk across the street from the hotel. The taxi supposed to bring them to the Charles de Gaulle airport was late.

The overnight review of the trip had revealed that Mauritius had not only been the longest stay at one place, but also in fact Penny's favorite location. And Sheldon's as well. Italy and Norway respectively Norway and Australia were second and third. China ranked last due to Penny's food poisoning.

"Oh, I think I forgot my umbrella in the lobby.", Penny said.

"I'll get it." Sheldon looked quickly left and right and hurried across the street. On the other side he turned around. "Penny? Let's do it, let's get a kitten."

"Sheldon, watch out!", Penny shouted, but it was too late. A black SUV, way over the speed limit, veered off the street and hit Sheldon, sending him flying through the hotel door and leaving him heavily bleeding on the lobby floor, just a few feet away from Penny's umbrella.


End file.
